GREATER POLLOK DESIGN SCHOOL
Design Briefs
The following design briefs are the first of a two stage design school alongside the communities of Greater Pollok.
The design briefs are split into two parts:
Greater Pollok Now - exploring the identity of the community at the moment and what it means to the people who live there
Greater Pollok After the Pandemic - exploring the future ideas for the Greater Pollok area and what physical spaces can be adapted and developed for the community
Design Briefs
Greater Pollok Now
1. Graphic Design: Rebrand Greater Pollok 2. Street Art: Create your own street art (at home). 3. Photography: Capture Greater Pollok in a series of images 4. Filmmaking: Document Greater Pollok during the pandemic 5. Storytelling: Tell the story of Greater Pollok 6. Sculpture: Create a sculpture that celebrates local people and their acts of care during the pandemic Graphic Design Graphic Design
Challenge: If you could give Greater Pollok a graphic style, what would it look like?
A strong visual identity can bring out the best characteristics of a place or product.
If you could rebrand Greater Pollok, what would it look like?
How would you visually represent Greater Pollok? Is it a colour scheme that can be used in public places and spaces? A set of icons or illustrations which represent Pollok or a logo that can become iconic and recognisable to everyone?
Your design concept could include:
- Logo/Typography - Colour scheme - Patterns/shapes - Icons/illustrations - Flag/emblem Graphic Design
Precedent 1: Porto rebrand
Porto needed a visual identity that could simplify communication with its people. In a bid to represent Porto as a city for everyone, White Studio developed an open and evolving identity based on the city's traditional blue tilework. They designed over 70 grid-based geometric icons that can be endlessly combined to create a visual network that represents the city's unending complexity. Each icon can live individually or within an elaborate pattern.
The idea of using ‘tiles’ means that the Porto icons can be used in many different ways. For example the public train (right).
Logo design / Icons / Colour scheme
Porto City rebrand Graphic Design
Precedent 2: Helsinki rebrand
The City of Helsinki had no uniform brand identity and city departments and projects had their own varying identities and logos. The only consistent identity element was the Helsinki coat of arms but it had its own restrictions and challenges in terms of usability. The rebranding of Helsinki sought a fresh new brand identity that respects the past and is both modern and timeless. The identity needed to be adaptive, responsive and versatile. The Helsinki logo was designed based on the most recognisable Helsinki symbol, the traditional Helsinki crest.
Logo design / Colour scheme / Graphic shapes
Helsinki city rebrand Graphic Design
Precedent 3: Chicago Flag Design
The Chicago flag design is simple, yet striking, and is full of symbolism that speaks to the history of Chicago. It consists of two light blue stripes cutting across a white background to create three white stripes alternating with the blue. The middle white band, which is thicker than the top and bottom, contains four red six-pointed stars.
The white and blue areas represent the city’s physical geography. The three white bands stand for the north, west and south sides of the city, while the blue stripes are symbolic of the city’s important bodies of water. The top blue band represents Lake Michigan and the north branch of the Chicago River. The bottom band represents the south branch of the Chicago River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (which connects the river to a tributary of the Mississippi River system).
Flag design / Colour scheme / Graphic shapes
https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/august-2013/chicago-city-flag/ https://www.patriotwood.com/blogs/news/18706901-why-is-chicago-s-flag-so-popular Street Art Street Art
Challenge: Create Your Own Street Art (At Home)
Street Art brings life and creativity to cities across the world.
If you could design your own mural, how would it look?
There are many different techniques that can be used in Street Art but they all start with an idea in a sketchbook at home.
Would you design your own Greater Pollok character? What about creating a Greater Pollok Stencil?
Your mural concept could include:
- Character Design - Graffiti Letters - Stencils - Bold Colours - Portraits Street Art
Precedent 1: The London Police
The London Police are pioneers of the global street art movement. They started back in 1998 when they invented their iconic ‘LADS’ character. They started small but now regularly paint large scale murals on the side of buildings.
They have taken their work all over the world creating murals in 35 countries and hosting over 100 exhibitions.
They combine strong black and white illustrations with colourful backdrops.
Character Design / Bold Colours Street Art
Precedent 2: The Rebel Bear
The Rebel Bear is a Scottish street artist who uses stencils to create work their work.
Their work can be found across the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Their work shows the power of street art to comment on current events.
They have created several works relating to the pandemic and works to support key workers.
Stencils / Social Commentary Street Art
Precedent 3: Mark Worst
Mark Worst is a Paisley mural artist with a background in graffiti. He now specialises in large scale mural work.
Mark started off creatingletter based graffiti, while also incorporating characters into his paintings.
Marks journey is very inspiring as it shows the potential career path for someone who is interested in graffiti and the cultures that surround it.
Graffiti Letters / Portraits Photography Photography
Challenge: Capture Greater Pollok in a Series of Images
Communities can be defined in a number of different ways and what you see may be very different from your neighbour.
Can you create a set of photographs to portray Greater Pollok’s identity as it is now?
It might be a specific location that you like walking around, a space you go to, a person who means a lot to you or a view that you find interesting. Photography
Precedent 1: Street Photography
Photography has been a powerful storytelling tool for almost 200 years. One strong image can tell an entire story without any words being written, or a series of images can be just as powerful.
This series of street photography captures the emptiness of Glasgow during the Covid 19 first lockdown. The usually busy city centre streets almost empty. https://si-foto.co.uk/STREET Photography
Precedent 2: Documentary Photography
An example of documentary photography. The aim was to document the process of sheep shearing and the farmer involved to help tell the story of the UK’s wool industry.
This photoset tells the story in 6 simple images yet captures all aspects of the process.
The best camera is the one you have with you. - Chase Jarvis
Big camera, wee camera, phone camera, it doesn’t matter. All can tell a story. Is there a trade or process in Greater Pollok which you think would be great to document?
Photography
Precedent 3: Emerging from Lockdown
The pandemic is something which is finite and the coming months and years will be consigned to the history books as a period like no other.
However, the definition of that period of time is our choice to make; do we return to the pre-pandemic world, which included homelessness, child poverty and other societal ills, or do we ‘bounce forward’ to transform our communities, cities and nations to be greener, vibrant and more resilient?
Emerging is a series of short films developed during the summer of 2020 by interviewing a cross section of society. We asked them about their lockdown experiences and their hopes and aspirations for the future.
Filmmaking Filmmaking
Challenge: Document Greater Pollok
With people exploring their local community a lot more because of the pandemic, what has been your experience of Greater Pollok?
Can you record this through the medium of film by using your phone to edit together clips of the streets, interviewing people within your friends and family circles or doing something a bit more abstract? Filmmaking
Precedent 1: Shinty Memories Shinty Memories was a film project which aimed to capture the stories and memories of the past generation and tell the importance of shinty to the communities of the Highlands of Scotland. Using interviews, images of the past and footage of locations the story comes together to deliver its aims.
Is there a story within Greater Pollok which deserves to be told? Filmmaking
Precedent 2: Glasgow in Lockdown
Glasgow in Lockdown was a project which encouraged the citizens of Glasgow to Rethink, Reimagine & Redesign a greener, more sustainable Glasgow as it faces the lockdown challenges.
The aim of the film was to bring this message to a wider audience. It was a collection of location shots with a voice over expressing the desired message with text overlaid to support it. Storytelling Storytelling
Challenge: Tell the story of Greater Pollok
During lockdown, and before the pandemic, what is a story of Greater Pollok that tells the story of your community?
Does this story focus around a person, a location or an event that took place?
Can you creatively tell this story by developing a short story, a poem, a song or something else that tells the story through words?
Your story could include:
- Local Heros - History - Myths - Social Commentary - Ideas for the Future Storytelling
Precedent 1: Stories For Strangers
Stories For Strangers is a series of short stories written by Luke Winter. Luke writes his stories on the street with an old fashioned typewriter.
People ask for a short story and suggest a topic which he then writes for them while they wait. He calls this process “Stories While ‘U’ Wait”.
Storytelling
Precedent 2: Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey
Greater Pollok alumni Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey is undoubtedly one of our country's greatest storytellers.
Having started his career as a musician making Scottish rap albums such as ‘Welcome to The Ninth World’ which features great examples of storytelling, Darren then went on to write his book Poverty Safari which focuses on his own experience of growing up in the area. The book went on to win the Orwell Prize.
More recently he has been working on a podcast which he uses to discuss ideas and current events.
Storytelling
Precedent 3: Leyla Josephine
Leyla has been writing poetry since 2013. A friend asked her to come along to an open mic night and perform some of her work that she had written for theatre, not realising it could be defined as poetry. She had never been to a spoken word night but she fell in love with how quickly things could be shared and the community that came with it.
She started competing in slams and came first in the UK National Slam at The Royal Albert Hall 2014. She then won The Commonwealth Slam in the same year and The Loud Poets Grand Slam 2016. She was a finalist in the Roundhouse Slam 2017 and runner up for The Scottish Championships 2018. She has been lucky enough to perform her poetry in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, The Czech Republic, Canada and in The US. Sculpture With Greater Pollok’s Artists in Residence Sculpture
Challenge: Create a sculpture that celebrates local people and their acts of care during the pandemic
Imagine that your sculpture is a model (a mini version) for a big public monument. Like the statues in George Square (but maybe more colourful..!)
These kinds of sculptures are often made to remember important people and the things they have done in history.
The pandemic is a big moment for the history books and we are inviting you to work with artists to make your own sculpture to remember who or what has been important for you during this time.
Free clay kit available to make These sculptures will photographed to your sculpture: create a 2D outdoor Sculpture trail in [email protected] Greater Pollok! Sculpture
Example 1: The Staalman Bear This is the tallest bear in Amsterdam!
In 2005 an initiative brought together young people, students and local residents from one neighbourhood to design the local park.
During this design process, the idea for this artwork by artist Florentijn Hofman came about.
The 10m high bear represents the pride of the residents and their strength during a long period of demolition and reconstruction of their homes.
The pillow under the arm refers to advice often given to young people - to go to bed on time rather than hanging out in the street until late. It it also a reminder of the fact that the residents literally had to leave their houses (temporarily) with their pillows under their arm. http://adambeeldenva1900.blogspot.com/2012/12/florentijn -hofman-beer-de-staalman.html Sculpture
Example 2: Niki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), French-American artist, is one of the few famous female monumental sculptors. She is a self-taught artist who first began making art as a form of therapy.
Her sculptures are colourful, patterned, and joyful. She uses simple and abstract forms. She doesn’t hide the way these are made.
Some of you may have seen small models of her work last year - when they were exhibited in the Pollok Civic Realm. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niki_de_Saint_Pha lle_at_the_Moderna_Museet_in_Stockholm.jpg https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/04/18/niki-de- saint-phalles-tarot-garden?intcid=popular http://voom.si/once-upon-a-time-in-southern-tuscany-the -tarot-garden-a-masterpiece-by-niki-de-saint-phalle/ Sculpture
Example 3: Kenny Hunter
Kenny Hunter is a Scottish sculptor. His work is influenced by action figures and toys.
His work is similar to historic classical sculptures of kings and Queens, but instead he makes monuments to ordinary people and things.
One of his most well known sculptures is the ‘Citizen Firefighter,’ just outside Glasgow Central Station.
Elephant https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55214217
Sandcastle, Bonfire: http://www.kenny-hunter.com/commissions.html
Firefighter: https://www.flickr.com/photos/47523307@N08/5697098806 Design Briefs
Greater Pollok After the Pandemic
Coming Soon
1. Spaces to Play 2. Spaces to Grow 3. Spaces to Meet 4. Spaces to Exercise 5. Spaces to Connect 6. Spaces to Learn